Gov. Sule orders sack, prosecution of hospital staff over alleged sale of donated items

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has ordered the immediate dismissal and prosecution of staff members of Umaisha General Hospital in Toto Local Government Area over allegations that they sold medical equipment donated to the facility.

Sule issued the directive on Wednesday at the commissioning of heavy-duty equipment under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme in Lafia, the state capital.

The governor’s order followed allegations involving items donated to the hospital by Sa’ad Abdullahi, a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly representing Umaisha/Ugya Constituency.

The controversy emerged after a video circulated on social media showing Abdullahi confronting the hospital management over the alleged disappearance and sale of the donated materials.

The lawmaker said he had donated 50 fans, 50 orthopaedic mattresses and other items to improve conditions for patients and support healthcare delivery at the facility.

During his visit to the hospital, Abdullahi demanded an explanation from the management over the whereabouts of the items and questioned how materials donated for patients’ use could have been disposed of.

Reacting to the allegations, Sule directed the state Commissioner for Health to investigate the matter and take immediate disciplinary and legal action against anyone found responsible.

“I have already asked the Honourable Commissioner for Health to investigate, to dismiss and fire the hell out of them, and after that, to prosecute them,” the governor said.

He said simply dismissing the officials would not be enough, insisting that anyone found culpable should face prosecution.

“Firing them to go free will not give us peace of mind until we prosecute them for this inhuman attitude of theirs. We cannot tolerate that,” Sule said.